I am often asked to see consultations at the hospital for cellulitis (without any obvious portal of entry, such as a puncture wound or ulceration) which according to the progress notes seemed to response initially with several days intravenous antibiotics but then lingers. An MRI is often already performed this early stage demonstrating inflammation at the skin verifying cellulitis but difficult to discern whether abscess is present. Clinically, area of residual cellulitis is either indurated or fluctuant consolidating something the body wishes to expel. I schedule the patient for surgery then identify and drain an abscess. To me, lingering cellulitis is a surgical problem. With cellulitis that does not respond to antibiotic therapy, when do you consider an abscess?